THE IMPACT OF CYBERBULLYING ON DISTANCE LEARNING

EDUC 5470: RESEARCH IN EDUCATION

by

MY NAME

An Applied Research Proposal Presented in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Education

University of the People

February 15, 2023

 Applied Research Proposal

Academic research is a methodical practice by teachers, researchers, or anybody interested in the

educational environment. In this study, the researcher gathers information and data to understand

better and comprehend educational challenges and try to change or overcome them. As a result,

student accomplishments in the educational setting improve (Painter, 1999).

Area of Focus

This study will focus on the "Impact of Cyberbullying on Distance Learning." This study

examines the impact of distance learning on school bullying, its reasons, and the levels and

several occurrences of cyberbullying in the educational setting. "A focus provides a road plan for

how you will complete your paper. It also assists in leading your study and constructing your

thesis statement" (Admin, 2016, para. 2). (Admin, 2016, para. School bullying among students

has intensified with the rising use of technological communication in education. 2). Teachers

reported that the COVID-19 epidemic had a more significant negative impact on students'

conduct and that in distant learning settings, students' mental health and school performance

suffered.

Explanation of Problem

Bullying has always been a challenge for students at my educational institution. However, since

the pandemic, I have realized that students who were outspoken and interested in coming to

school were now withdrawn. The present COVID-19 pandemic has had enormous negative

consequences for all academic stakeholders. Because the epidemic has aggravated many

underlying issues that underpin abusive behaviors, one may anticipate a significant increase in
cyberbullying. .  Cyberbullying has emerged in recent years as a result of youths' extensive usage

of smartphones and Internet access. Cyberbullying is defined by the use of electronic modes of

interaction (e.g., phone calls, text messages, picture/video clips, e-mails, chat rooms, instant

messaging, websites) that allow the offender to stay anonymous while exacerbating the victim's

suffering. Cyberbullying can take the following forms: flaming (online fights using angry and

vulgar language in electronic messages); harassment (repeatedly sending mean, insulting

messages); cyberstalking (repeated, intense harassment and denigration that includes threats or

creates significant fear); denigration (spreading rumors online; sending or posting gossip about a

person to damage his/her reputation or friendships); impersonation (pretending to be someone

else and seducing others); (intentionally and cruelly excluding someone from an online group). It

can be summarized that this prevalent phenomenon of bullying is one of the most widespread

problems in schools. It impacts the safety and progress of the educational process, causing

problems in the classroom

Population

The participants in this study will consist of five teachers (English Language, Health and Family

Life, Civics, Mathematics, and French and teachers with special responsibilities (Head of

Departments, Homeroom Teachers as well as a Grade Coordinator) and twenty students. The

students' breakdown will be ten boys and ten girls, and the teacher participants will include two

males and three females. 

Seeing that the hybrid approach is being used at my institution, students from both the physical

and virtual classrooms will be included in the research. The students’ age ranges from 11 to 19 or

grades 7-13. The participants are from multicultural backgrounds with diverse academic abilities,
linguistic diversity, and learning styles or preferences. Several questionnaires and interviews will

be sent to children, parents, teachers, and educational counselors.

Research Questions

1- What is the reality of middle school bullying amid the COVID-19 epidemic? "By describing

what the researcher is attempting to discover, these questions influence the majority of the other

processes taken to perform the research" (Choosing & using sources, 2018, P. 5).

2- In which forms is cyberbullying hampering remote learning?

3- What factors are increasing the situation of school cyber bullying? 

Population Justification

These participants were chosen because they represent the profile type of students who would

have been impacted by cyberbullying during remote learning or that they know of individuals

who would have been bullied in other words, they represent an accurate sampling. The number

of boys and girls is relatively balanced as well and the number of teachers to be interviewed or

will participate in the study will provide the credibility of the research.

Intervention

The intervention will last for a total of one month, and students who are found to be

victims of cyberbullying will be referred to the Dean of Discipline as well as the Guidance

counselor. During these sessions, they will be given guidance as various strategies will be

implemented to get them to overcome the challenges they face with being cyberbullied and the

impact it has on their academic performance. During the month, the plan will assess the victims’

academic performance to see the impact this grievous crime has on their academics. They will be

presented with methods to cope, receive a mentor with whom they can speak freely, and be

tutored in the subject areas they would have had difficulty in. At the end of the month, the
program students will be asked to write a reflection on the effectiveness of the intervention. For

example:

1. What have I learned?

2. What will I do differently to safeguard myself from cyberbullying?

3. What will I like to see added to the intervention program?

Intervention Plan 

 The researcher will implement the following phases to achieve the goals: 

Phase One

 Implement a reporting mechanism where students can report cases of cyberbullying

 Liaise with the students who are found to be victims of cyberbullying. 

Phase Two

 Assessment of students' academic progress before/ and during the cyberbullying

Phase Three

 Conduct student consultations with students and educate them on the methods of

safeguarding themselves from cyberbullying.

Phase Four

 Refer students to the Dean of Discipline and the Guidance Counsellor, who will use

mentorship and tutoring programs for students. 

Phase Five

 Assessment of students' academic performance after being in the programme for one

month to report any improvement. 

Sources of Data

Literature, surveys, interviews, observations, existing documents, and recordings will be

the primary data sources. Literature sources are the compilation of data from previously written

works in the public domain. Literature channels include textbooks, official or private company

publications, bulletins, periodicals, and publicly written papers and essays. Secondary data

collection is a type of data collection. It is less expensive and takes less time than collecting

original data.

Questionnaires collect data frequently centered on personal or community experiences

with a specific event. This information can be obtained in a variety of ways. Web-based and

paper-based questionnaires are the two most prominent (printed form) approaches. A survey is

another method for gathering knowledge for analysis purposes. The results of this data collection

method are easy to assess.

The interview is a qualitative data-gathering tool whose results are based on intensive

interaction with respondents about a specific sample (Scheicher, 2021). In most cases, interviews

are conducted to get detailed input from the professionals being questioned. Interviews can be

structured (formal), semi-structured, or unstructured. An interview can be conducted in person

with the interviewee(s) or over the internet.

The observation approach gathers knowledge by studying subjects in a certain situation

or ambiance at a specific time of day. Scholars analyze the behavior of the individuals or

situations being studied. This type of study can be supervised, unsupervised, or participant-

driven. When a study follows a predetermined methodology for observing individuals or the
environment, this is referred to as controlled observation (Scheicher, 2021). Human observation

takes place while people are being studied in their natural context. The technique of participant

observation involves the observer becoming a member of the community being observed.

Conclusion 

Access to correct information about educational difficulties is what makes educational

research so important. "Action research is critical in teacher and pre-service teacher preparation

and professional development" (Hine, 2013, para. 18). It also assists practicing teachers in

overcoming new challenges.

References

Admin. (Mar 1, 2016). “Forming a Focus for Your Research Paper.” worksCited4U Blog,

Retrieved from www.workscited4u.com/blog/forming-a-focus-for-your-research-paper.

Baron, M. A. (2008). Guidelines for writing research proposals and dissertations. Retrieved from

http://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/pdfs/residency/su09/dissertation_guidelines.pd f

Choosing & using sources: A guide to academic research. (2018). Choosing & Using Sources: A

guide to academic research. Teaching & Learning, Ohio State University Libraries.

E, Rafeedalie. (n.d.). “Research: Population and Sample.” Research: Population and Sample |

Top Hat, tophat.com/marketplace/social-science/education/course-notes/oerresearch-

population-and-sample-dr-rafeedalie/1196/.

Hine, G. (2013). The importance of action research in teacher education programs. Retrieved

from http://clt.curtin.edu.au/events/conferences/tlf/tlf2013/refereed/hine.html

Painter, D. (1999). Teacher research could change your practice. Retrieved from

http://web.archive.org/web/20200217170158/http:/www.nea.org/tools/17289.htm